May Be Reckless
by Foreverx17
Summary: "Everything changed when I had laid eyes on her. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. I stopped myself again. This was Charlie's daughter. Charlie, the man who had given me a chance when I felt like I was down on my luck. I would never undermine his trust by trying to get at his daughter. I knew why I wasn't good enough. I knew I had to stay away."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the _Twilight_ series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter One: First Breath

BELLA

Stepping out of the airport in North Carolina, I lift my gaze to the sun and sigh with relief. I decide then that my decision to come here for the summer had been a good one. I needed an escape from the city. I've finished my final year of graduate school, gone through three different internships during that time, and had had more failed interviews than I care to count.

When my mother asked me to come down to California and spend the summer with her, I hesitated—and for good reason. I need a break from crazy. I need a break from constantly going. Being with my erratic, overly energetic mother does not fit into that category.

I see my father, Charlie, before he sees me. He's standing at the end of a long line of cars waiting to pick up their loved ones. He's holding his hand over his eyes to block out the sun and looking around swiftly. I smile because he's looking for me.

With lighter footsteps than I've had in months, I make my way over to him. He finally sees me when I'm a few feet away and he smiles, opening up his arms as I jump into them. My father and I are not overly affectionate people, but at times like these, when I haven't seen him in months and I've missed him so, I couldn't care less about sharing a hug with him in the middle of walking traffic.

"Bella," he breathes into my hair before releasing me and holding me at arm's length. "You look good, honey."

I smile. "Thank you, Dad."

"How was the flight?"

"Really good."

He raises a speculative eyebrow. "Really?"

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Okay, I may have white knuckled my arm rest like four or ten times, but it wasn't that bad. I'm not as nervous about flying as I used to be."

"That's good," he smiles as he puts his arm around my shoulders, subtly moving me over to grab one of the two large suitcases that are beside me. "You sure don't pack light do ya, kiddo?"

"Dad, I'm staying with you all summer. A girl needs her options."

His eyebrows shoot up, almost past his forehead. "Whoa! Since when do you care about having 'options?'"

"Since I don't wanna have to go shopping every time I realize I don't have a sweater if it gets chilly or a pair of shorts when it's hot as hell."

"Point taken," he chuckles. "Come on, let's go home."

…..

We're halfway home when Charlie breaks the comfortable silence in the jeep.

"So, uh, there's something else I wanted to tell you," he begins nervously. I glance over at him and furrow my eyebrows when I see he has one hand on the wheel while the other rubs his neck anxiously.

"Yea?" I press.

"We have…a bit of a houseguest."

"A houseguest?"

"Actually, an employee...of mine."

"Employee? Dad you _just _retired six months ago, don't tell me you got another job."

"No not exactly."

"Dad, spit it out."

"Alright, well…seeing as we only spent the summers at the beach house, it has a lot of renovating to do. The roof, the dry wall, you name it we need to fix it. I needed some help getting the place where I wanted it to be…and maintaining it so…I sort of hired this young man I met a couple months ago."

"You hired some random guy off the streets?" I ask incredulously.

"It sounds worse than it is." He pauses and takes a deep inhale. "So I see this guy every morning at the café I go to. He sits in the same booth, drinks a cup of coffee—no food. And he's always writing in this…journal. He's always really deep in thought…zoned out, whatever you want to call it. Even when the waitress tries to get him something to eat on the house, he refuses. He just drinks his coffee and writes."

"O-kay? Dad, I don't see where you're going with this."

"One night, I'm out at this bar with my friend Harry and we hear this commotion outside. So we go check it out and these two guys are fighting—a full on brawl outside. Blood everywhere, punches getting thrown. Everyone's watching like it's some kind of show so Harry and I split them up. One of them was the guy I kept seeing at the café. So I took him aside to calm him down and talk to him.

"Now, Bella, I don't want to air this guy's personal business, but he was just…really lost. In a bad place in his life. Well, apparently he's been in a bad place for a while. His parents died when he was a teenager."

"Oh," I breathe.

"He didn't have a steady job. He was on-call at some warehouse. So, I asked if he would be interested in helping fix up the house. I mean, it's too big for me to do on my own and you have no idea what they charge now for a simple sanding. So we made a deal and he agreed. A place to stay and a paycheck every week. Not a lot, but at least it's something."

I shake my head. "Dad, I just don't see your rationale for taking in some man you don't even know. I get it that you felt empathy for him, but you don't even know him. Why are you doing this?"

We pull up the long driveway to the house. Charlie parks the car and sighs before looking at me. "He just…reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. My parents died when I was only thirteen. I had to live with my grandparents…I rebelled…I was angry. I guess I could relate to him." He pauses. "He's a really nice young man, Bella. I think you'll like him."

I sigh because the fact that my father could just invite a stranger to live in his house with him without any type of precedent is beyond me—and frankly it rattles me a bit.

I decide to push the uneasy feelings away for the time being as I hop out of the truck and go around to the bed to help my father grab my things. We make our way up to the porch and Charlie opens the door, letting me in first. I set my suitcase and carry-on in the foyer and Charlie puts my other suitcase next to them. I haven't been here for years and have been excited to see what it looks like now that my father has moved in permanently. Surprisingly, it looks the same and more importantly, it still feels like home.

"You hungry?" he asks me.

"Um, no not really. Thirsty."

He nods and I follow him into the kitchen. "Soda? Juice?"

"Water's good," I smile. "Thanks."

Charlie nods again and grabs a glass from one of the cupboards, filling it with ice and water before handing it to me. I thank him and take a sip.

"So…when do I get to meet this houseguest?" I ask hesitantly after a moment.

Charlie glances down at his watch. "Soon, I think. I just sent him out to get some primer. We've just started renovating the bathrooms. Yours is completely redone, by the way."

I raise my eyebrows. "Redone?"

"Yea. Edward re-painted it, even installed new shower doors. The other ones were rusty. I gotta say, the kid's good with his hands."

"Edward?"

"Oh yea," he says distractedly as he opens the fridge and grabs a beer. "That's his name. Edward."

I nod slowly, smacking my lips together. "Well, I look forward to meeting him."

He closes the fridge and takes the cap of his beer bottle off. He leans back against the counter to take a sip. "Trust me, Bells," my father starts, as if reading my thoughts. "You'll like him."

I let out a sigh and manage a convincing smile for my dad. "Don't worry, Dad, I trust you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the **_**Twilight**_** series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Barely Too Much

BELLA

The waves crashing against the shore are completely serene. I'm sitting in the sand just outside the house, watching the water build up then break from a distance. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, reveling in the fact that I will be here for the entire summer.

"It's perfect," I whisper.

Charlie is inside fixing dinner and when I had offered to help, he had shooed me away to relax. After much persistence on both parts, I finally agreed and poured myself a glass of white wine before grabbing a wrap jacket and going outside.

The kitchen has two large glass French double doors that open straight onto a wooden porch that is ground level and always covered with sand because it leads directly onto the beach. Foregoing one of the comfy lounge chairs that surround a fire pit on the porch, I had decided I wanted to sit on the soft sand and truly enjoy what the ocean had to offer me.

I had been sitting there for what had to be thirty minutes when I hear my father speaking inside the kitchen. I look over my shoulder, but cannot see anyone. I look back at the ocean and take a sip of my wine.

"Bella!" I hear my father call.

I look over my shoulder and see my father walking out onto the sand. Shortly after, a tall figure is following behind him. On closer inspection, I see it's a man who is around my age. I slowly get up as they approach me.

"Bella, this is Edward," Charlie says, moving aside and gesturing to the man following him.

Edward looks at me and smiles slightly. "It's nice to finally meet you." He extends his hand to me and I mechanically take it, too captivated by his gorgeous green eyes. His hair is a beautiful shade of light brown with hints of red. It's cut short, but still manages to be wildly messy atop his head. His jawline, perfectly sculpted, makes him an Adonis of a man. And his tall, lean figure does nothing but add to his handsomeness. He's thin, but obviously muscular and I take in the way his bicep flexes under his white t-shirt.

I realize I am still holding his hand.

And shaking it absentmindedly.

Completely mortified, I let go and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, clearing my throat and looking Edward in the eye. "H-Hi," I manage. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Charlie talks about you all the time," Edward adds. "Congratulations on just graduating."

"Th-thanks," I respond, looking at Charlie.

"Well, kids, dinner will be ready in about half an hour. Edward, you want a beer?"

"Oh, no," he says, shaking his head. "I was going to head out actually. I don't want to impose. It's Bella's first night back, I'm sure you wanna spend time with her."

Charlie shakes his head. "Trust me, we'll spend plenty of time together this summer. She'll probably get sick of me, won't you, Bella?" he chuckles.

I smile slightly and try to laugh at his joke, but end up blushing when Edward looks at me again. "Um yea," I say, meeting his gaze. "Stay."

He stares at me for a moment longer before nodding once. "Okay."

...

Dinner is spent with my father asking me more about school and about the internship I recently had. Edward is quiet and doesn't say anything unless someone talks to him directly. Because I don't know him at all, I don't say much of anything to him throughout dinner expect for asking him general questions like how he likes working for my dad and where he's from.

When dinner is finished, I convince Charlie to let me clean up since he cooked, and after a while he finally relents and grabs a beer, inviting Edward to watch the football game with him in the living room.

"I'll help Bella," he says quietly, surprising me.

"Jeez, I'll cook dinner every night if it gets me out of doing the dishes," my dad jokes, chuckling as he walks to the living room that is right next to the kitchen.

I turn on the sink and hear the sound of the game coming from the living room. Edward begins clearing plates behind me and I glance over my shoulder as I wash one of the cooking pots.

"It's okay, you don't have to help clean up," I say. "I'm sure you'd rather be watching the game with Charlie anyways."

Edward shrugs as he brings a stack of dishes over. "I'm not that into sports," he says quietly.

I watch as he places the dishes and glasses on the counter beside me. He begins taking the washed dishes from me and drying them before putting them in a stack to be put away at once. We begin a steady system and work in comfortable silence for a while.

"So," he says, breaking the silence. "You studied English in school?"

I nod, watching the dish I am washing. "Yea, I got my Masters in Creative Writing."

"So what do you plan to do now?"

I shrug, handing him another dish. "Just write," I chuckle, because honestly I have no idea. "I was working at a magazine for a long time, but I'm not really into journalism. I'm hoping to start interning at a publishing house after the summer."

"So you want to be a book publisher?"

"No. Hopefully an editor. I mean, just to get my foot in the door before I can get my own work published."

I hand him a glass and watch him nod.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" he murmurs conversationally, drying some silverware.

"Well, did you go to school?"

"I went to community college for about half a semester before I dropped out."

"Why'd you drop out?" I ask, before realizing that it's none of my business. Before I can back track, he responds.

"School isn't for everyone."

I nod. "That's true."

We work in silence for a little bit longer. When I am washing the last dish, I decide to see if I can find out a little bit more about Charlie's houseguest.

"So, what made you move to North Carolina anyway?"

"Lots of stuff," he replies evasively.

"You didn't like Seattle?" I ask, since he had told me during dinner that he used to live there.

"Seattle's fine."

I hand him the last dish and turn off the faucet as he dries it.

"I'm sure Charlie already told you we lived in Forks. I always liked it there. It's rainy and foggy more than I'd like, but Washington's a really nice state."

"It is," he murmurs. After drying off the final dish, he begins putting them away. Instead of helping, I lean against the counter and watch him.

"Did you grow up in Seattle?" I ask.

He pauses as he is putting plates away in a cupboard. "Um…no." He closes the cabinet's door and walks over to grab the pots and pants, bending down and placing them in their correct spot before straightening up and busying himself with wiping down the counter beside me.

"Where did you grow up?" I try again.

Edward begins to scrub the counter much harder than he needs to. "Chicago," he replies curtly.

"Why did you move?"

He throws the towel on the counter so hard that the smack of it hitting the granite resonates through the room, causing me to jump slightly as he looks at me with his jaw clenched.

"Is this an interview?" he grits through his teeth.

My mouth falls open slightly and my eyes widen as I slowly shake my head. "I'm sorry…I don't mean to be so nosy. I was just curious." I look over at Charlie, but the television is too loud for him to hear our conversation.

Edward breaths in through his nose before placing both of his hands on the granite counter, letting his head fall between his shoulders as he leans on it, as if collecting himself.

"I'm sorry," I say softly before quickly walking past him and out the kitchen. I round the stairs, jogging up to the second floor and swiftly making my way to my room, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it heavily.

I place a hand over my heart as I take in deep breaths to calm myself. It's beating erratically. I know I probably shouldn't have been asking so many questions. I had been trying to find out more about him, just to see what had drawn Charlie to him, but had been unsuccessful in my attempts at being subtle.

Still, his sudden anger is inexplicable and I find myself wondering what could have possibly made him so angry.

…..

I spend the remainder of the night up in my room, too afraid to go back downstairs and run into Edward. Instead, I sit in the middle of my bed and try to concentrate on reading _The Great Gatsby_, but I find myself unable to focus on the tribulations of Gatsby and Daisy when I am haunted by piercing green eyes that had been glaring daggers at me downstairs.

A few hours later, Charlie knocks on my door to say goodnight. He kisses my cheek and I tell him I will see him tomorrow. I glance at the clock on my nightstand when he is gone and see it is just past eleven o'clock. I am way too wound up to fall asleep, but far too frightened to leave my room for fear of seeing Edward. And since he is staying in the guestroom downstairs, the chances of bumping into him if I go to the kitchen for water is highly likely.

I let out a deep sigh and decide it is safer for me if I stay where I am and continue reading. So I sit in my room, intermittently looking under the crease of the door, waiting to see if footsteps will ever emerge from a person with piercing green eyes and an explanation.

That person never comes.

I finally fall asleep around two in the morning with a heavy heart and a million questions running through my mind.

* * *

**A / N: Hi, everyone. I just want to thank you for the positive response to the first chapter. And it really touches me that there are some of you who read "Let's Love Hate" and are once again supporting a story of mine. I don't know how to thank you properly. As for new readers, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to give my little story here a read. It's been almost three years since I've written Fan Fiction, and I am really happy that I made the decision to come back. You guys make it worthwhile. Thank you from the depths of my heart.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the **_**Twilight**_** series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Uncomfortable

BELLA

I wake up around noon the next day, attributing the laziness to the jetlag of the previous day. After getting dressed in some jeans and a white t-shirt, I head downstairs to grab some breakfast…err lunch.

The house appears empty as I make my way to the kitchen. I stop when I see the fridge door is opened, and Edward is standing in front of it drinking from a water bottle. He's wearing a dark blue t-shirt and dark jeans. I see sweat dripping down the sides of his face and realize he's probably been working. I clear my throat after a moment and he turns around, startled.

"Morning," I say quietly.

He quirks an eyebrow at me and glances at the clock on the wall. I laugh slightly and shake my head.

"Yea, I guess it's morning somewhere," he says, closing the refrigerator. "Must have been tired, huh?"

I nod, wringing my hands together. "Yea. I'm always that way after a flight. Doesn't matter if it's twenty hours or _two_ hours."

He nods and stares at me in silence. I grow somewhat self-conscious under his gaze and shuffle a little from foot to foot.

"Listen, Bella, about last night…I just want to apologize. I didn't mean to overreact," he says quietly.

I look up at him, surprised that he is actually bringing up what happened the night before. I want to ask him questions. Find out why it upset him, my prying. But I decide against it and nod instead.

"Thank you," I finally say. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have been so nosy. I was just curious." I shrug. "God, I must have really wrecked your first impression of me, huh?" I force a small laugh to lighten the mood.

"You didn't," he says, looking down and shaking his head. His jaw is clenched and I want to take away the distress in his features, so I quickly change the subject.

"You working?" I ask.

He looks up at me and nods slowly. "Yea, I'm redoing the floorboards on the porch and updating the fire pit," he says.

"Oh wow. That's great."

"Yea." Pause. "So got any plans for the day?" I can tell he is trying to make conversation and move on from what happened last night and I am thankful for that.

"Um, no, not really. I was going to head to the pier. Walk around, but that's pretty much it."

Another awkward silence passes as he nods.

"Do you…I mean…did you wanna join me?" I ask.

He looks at me, seemingly shocked at my invitation, before looking away and shaking his head. "No I gotta finish up the half of the porch I started." He looks at me. "I don't like leaving things unfinished."

I nod, slightly disappointed, which surprises me. "O-Okay. Well, I'm just gonna…head out then."

He nods and heads out through the French doors.

I shake my head slightly and walk out the double doors a moment after him. I hear him drilling something, but don't look at him, not wanting him to see how my cheeks are rosy red from our five minute conversation

…..

The pier is just as I remember it. I buy a cotton candy from one of the vendors and smile at the kids pointing at the ocean below, claiming to see dolphins and whales. I stop at a vacant part of the wooden railing and lean over to look at the ocean, how the waves crash against the shore with such grace before retreating and doing it again. The smell of the ocean is enough to calm me and make me feel like I'm at peace. After being in New York for so long and listening to the noises of the city every day and every night, the tranquility of the ocean is a welcome change.

I close my eyes and revel in the cool ocean breeze on my face. I can't even help the small smile that forms on my lips when I feel like I can taste the salt.

"It's beautiful, huh?"

I open my eyes and glance to my right to see a young man, maybe a little bit older than me, standing there. He has dark black hair and piercing blue eyes. Week old scruff is on his face and he looks the epitome of a man who truly doesn't care.

"Yea, it is," I reply.

He smiles wider and extends his hand to me. "I'm Royce King. And you are?"

"Bella Swan," I say, shaking his hand.

"Bella," he repeats, dropping his hand. "That rolls off the tongue. It's a lovely name."

"Thanks," I say, feeling my cheeks warm.

"You from here, Bella Swan?"

"Um…sort of?"

"Sort of?"

I laugh nervously and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Well my parents bought a beach house here for the summers back when I was four so we came every year. I'm originally from Washington. Then my parents got divorced when I was nine and I moved to California with my mom and visited my dad on holidays and…you don't want to hear my life story," I say in a rush when I realize I'm rambling.

Royce laughs and shakes his head. "No, no, I do. That sounds…like you've been to quite a lot of different places in your day."

"Not even," I scoff. "Just a few."

"Well, Bella Swan, I would sure love to hear more about these 'few' places over a cup of coffee. What do you say? My treat."

I look him up and down as I smack my lips together. Going anywhere with a stranger is really dumb, but then again we'll be in a public place. And it's not like I have anything else to do. I certainly don't want to go home with Edward there being all uncomfortable around me and making me an awkward mess.

"Sure. I'd love to," I say.

…..

"So you're originally from Forks?" Royce asks me as he takes a sip of his coffee.

We're currently in a coffee shop located in a quaint little part of town, sitting at a small table across from one another. I take a sip of my caramel latte and nod.

"Yea. It's a small little town in Washington. Like I said before, my parents got divorced when I was nine. My dad stayed in Forks and my mom moved to California," I say.

"And you moved with your mom?"

"Yea," I say, surprised at how genuinely interested he sounds in my background. "I went back to Forks during school holidays to see my dad."

"How come you didn't just stay in Forks? I'm sure you had friends there."

I nod. "Yea, I did. It was a tough decision. But my dad is more independent than my mom. I knew she wanted me to go with her even though she said she wouldn't mind if I stayed in Forks. My dad understood. He knows my mom as well as I do."

He smiles and nods, looking down at his drink for a second, before glancing back up at me with those blue eyes of his. "So did you keep coming back here for the summers, even after the divorce?"

"My dad would. I did sometimes. Not really, though. It wasn't the same without my mom, ya know? But after my dad retired last year, he sold the house in Forks and bought the beach house. He's renovating it now." I take another sip from my drink.

"That must be a lot of work," he says.

"It is, but he's hired someone to help with it so…" I shrug. "I was hesitant to come back here since it's been a while, but I'm glad I did. I forgot how relaxing it is here."

He nods at me and smiles. "Well, I certainly hope you don't regret the decision to come here." He pauses and looks at me for a moment, shifting nervously in his seat. "Bella," he says, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "Would you be interested in going to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

I open my mouth and then close it as he holds his hand up, laughing.

"I know, I know. You probably think I'm being way too forward, but I assure you I'm just familiar with this place and I know it's very rare to have a beautiful girl like yourself come around. One who can actually hold a conversation, that is." He winks at me and I laugh and look down, shaking my head.

"So, is that a yes?" he smiles, lowering his head to meet my gaze.

I look up at him and let out a deep breath as I smile. "Okay."

…..

I walk back to the beach house by myself after giving Royce my address and cell number. He had told me he would come around to pick me up at seven the next night and I can't help the small smile that's in place as I'm walking towards the deck a little while later.

"Hey."

I scream and place a hand over my heart. It had started to darken outside and I hadn't seen anyone on the deck. I look to my left and see Edward standing there, holding a hammer in his hand as he wipes some sweat off his forehead.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he chuckles.

I slow down my breathing and nod. "It's fine, I just didn't see you."

He nods slowly before placing a nail to one of the wooden floorboards on the deck and hammering it in. I watch him for a moment, but after realizing he isn't going to say anything else, I go inside.

"Bella, that you?" my father calls from somewhere in the house.

"Yea," I call back, kicking off my sneakers and walking to the fridge to grab a drink.

My dad walks in a little bit later. "Hey, where'd ya go today?" he asks.

I open a soda and stand on one side of the kitchen island as I take a sip and shrug. "Just went to the pier," I say.

"You were there all day?" he asks, walking around me and grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. One of the French doors open and Edward walks in with a toolbox in his hand.

"Hey, Charlie, the left side is finished. I'll get started on the other side tomorrow," Edward says, looking only at my father.

He nods in return. "Great. Thanks, Edward." He looks at me after taking a sip of his beer and Edward goes to place the toolbox by the fireplace in the living room, presumably for tomorrow.

"So you just went to the pier all day?" my father asks again.

"Well, not quite," I say, shifting uncomfortably. "I met this guy. Royce. He asked me to join him for coffee."

My dad smiles and raises his eyebrows. "You got asked out on a _date_?"

I look up in time to see Edward walking out of the room without glancing in our direction before I sigh and look at my dad. "No, we just went to a coffee shop and talked," I say.

"Well, I know I'm old, but I'm not _that_ old. That sounds like a date."

"Dad," I sigh.

"Okay, okay. So…you going to hang out with this Royce kid again?" he asks, taking another sip of his beer. I roll my eyes at my father's subtle way of asking.

"He's taking me to dinner tomorrow night," I say, just as Edward walks back into the room.

"You got asked out on two dates in one night?" my father laughs.

"Dad, stop," I say, smacking him lightly on the chest. "It's not a date."

"Edward, help me out here," my father says, looking at Edward. I notice he has changed from his blue t-shirt into a light grey one and his hair looks as if he ran some water through it. He looks up at my father as he continues. "Is taking someone to coffee and then asking them to dinner not a date to you?" my father says.

Edward looks at me and I look down, blushing. "Sounds like one to me," he says softly. I look up and see he's staring right at me, his green eyes piercing through mine.

"Told ya," my father says, slapping the counter. "Alright, how's pizza for tonight?"

"Fine, Dad," I say.

"Alright," he finishes off his beer and places the empty bottle in the recycling bin under the sink. "I'll go call." He kisses my forehead as he walks past me and to the front of the house since he keeps all of the take-out phone numbers in a drawer by the foyer.

I look awkwardly at Edward and shake my head, tucking some hair behind my ears. "Sorry about my dad. He thinks it's funny to embarrass me like that."

"Why would you be embarrassed?" he asks me quietly.

I look up at him and see his hands are in his pockets and his eyebrows are furrowed. I shrug.

"Your dad discussing your dating life isn't exactly an ideal situation," I say.

Edward shrugs. "At least he wasn't discussing your sex life."

My eyes widen and I choke on the sip I was just taking from my soda. I wipe my mouth and look up at him. He's running a hand through his hair and looking anywhere but at me.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I don't know why the hell I said that."

"It's fine," I whisper, looking down at the counter, suddenly very interested in the color

granite that my father had chosen for the renovation.

"I just…I meant it's better…I mean…it wasn't the _worst_ thing he could be talking about," Edward mumbles nervously.

I nod. "Right."

"Alright, guys," my father says as he walks back into the room. "They said thirty to forty-five minutes. I'm gonna go shower real quick. Bella, I left some money by the door."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Edward, you joining us for dinner?" my dad asks.

"Uh, no. I'm actually heading out. Thank you, though," Edward says quietly.

"Alright then." He nods before heading upstairs.

I look at Edward as he kneels by the double French doors and ties up his boots. "Where are you going?" I ask him, trying to sound as conversational as possible.

"Milligan's. It's a bar by the pier," he replies, switching to the other shoe.

I nod. "Sounds fun."

"Yea." He stands up straight and looks at me. "Well, uh, have a good night."

"You, too."

He nods once more before opening one of the doors and heading out. I watch him from the windows of the doors as he gracefully shuffles past the sand on the deck and begins walking down the beach. I watch him until he disappears down the shore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the _Twilight_ series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Sweet

EDWARD

I walk down the beach with my hands in my pockets, all the while thinking about dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. I try to block her from my mind, shake her from my thoughts, but I can't. I never thought that the daughter Charlie always talked about would ever have this effect on me when she finally came here.

But everything changed when I had laid eyes on her last night. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was nothing about her that I didn't find attractive. Everything about her drew me in. Her eyes, her lips, her voice, her smile, her laugh.

I stopped myself again. This was Charlie's daughter. Charlie, the man who had given me a chance when I felt like I was down on my luck. The man who had let me stay in his house, live rent free, and have a job. I would never undermine his trust by trying to get at his daughter.

I knew why I wasn't good enough. I knew why I would never be the man that Bella would look at in that way. And while Charlie knew I had a troubled past, he only knew bits and pieces. If he knew it all, he wouldn't even let me within a hundred feet of his daughter. I knew I had to stay away.

I open the door to the bar, so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't realized I had arrived. I spot Jasper sitting in a booth towards the back and I make my way over to him.

"Hey, man," he says as I slide in across from him. He motions the waitress to bring a beer for me. "So where have you been these last couple weeks," he asks me, taking a drink from his beer.

"Charlie's place has a shit load of renovating to be done. I've been working on the deck," I tell him, thanking the waitress when she brings me my drink. She smiles at me and winks before walking away. "What about you?" I ask him, taking a giant gulp.

He shrugs. "I've just been working at the warehouse while I look for a place to lease," he tells me.

Jasper had finally taken the necessary courses he needed to open a restaurant and pub in town. It had been a dream of his for a long time, but it wasn't easy, and in the meantime he was working on-call jobs and part time gigs here and there.

"Miss havin' you at the warehouse," he jokes.

I chuckle. "Yea, I bet you do. Now you actually have to work."

"Exactly," he says, taking another drink. "So Charlie's daughter come yet?"

I nod. "Yea. Yesterday."

"She hot?" he smirks.

I run a hand through my hair and shake my head, smiling. "He's Charlie's daughter," I say, looking up at him.

He shrugs. "So? What's that got to do with whether she's hot or not?"

"I just…I can't look at her that way."

"Oh…she looks like her dad without a mustache, huh?" he jokes.

"Shut up, man," I laugh. "No, she's…pretty."

Jasper nods. "I'm just fucking with you, man."

I sigh and nod, taking another gulp of my beer before looking down at the table.

"You happy there, though? Working for Charlie, I mean?" Jasper asks in a serious voice.

I look up at him and nod. Jasper knows more about my past than anyone else. When I moved to North Carolina at the age of 22, I worked odd jobs here and there, trying to get by. I had met Jasper when I started working at a fish market in town. It was during my darker times and he had helped me deal with a lot of things. He was the person I felt closest to over the last few years.

After the fish market, we both got jobs at a local warehouse where the hours were good and the pay was decent. Jasper was as happy as I was that I finally got the hell out of there. Even though he never said it, I knew Jasper had bigger things waiting for him than I did. He was going places. Working at a warehouse for him was a temporary gig that would pass. But I knew that I didn't have as many options, no matter what Jasper tried convincing me.

"Yea. I'm happy there," I finally answer him. We finish our beers and order another round.

…..

I make it back to the house at a quarter past one in the morning. As quietly as I can, I unlock the door on the deck and walk in. I realize I don't need to be quiet when I see the t.v. is on, casting a haunting glow in the living room. Bella is curled up on the couch with a mug in her hand and a blanket on her lap. I close the door behind me with a click and she looks up.

"Oh, hey," she says, smiling slightly.

"Hi."

She looks back at the screen and I kick my shoes off before going to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. I take a few sips as I stand in the kitchen awkwardly. I'm not tired, but I don't want to impose if she wants to be left alone. I decide to go to my room and read until I fall asleep. I'm just about to turn the corner of the kitchen when she speaks.

"You like _Annie Hall_?" she asks me.

I stop and look at her. "What?"

"_Annie Hall_," she says. "Have you seen it?"

"Uh, no. Is that a t.v. show or something?" I chuckle as I slowly walk back into the room. I walk down the one step that leads into the living room that is otherwise attached to the kitchen and look at the screen, squinting my eyes. "Is that Diane Keaton?" I ask in disbelief as I sit down on the other end of the couch.

She laughs. "Yes. You've really never seen this movie?"

I shake my head and look at her.

"Well, it just started. I can start it from the beginning," she says.

"You don't have to do that for me."

She stops and looks at me. "Oh. Okay. Well, I don't mind. I just…I thought if you weren't tired you'd like to watch it with me. I'm not going to bed anytime soon."

I look at her and swallow a lump that has just formed in my throat. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

She laughs quietly, the nicest sound I've heard in a long time, and shakes her head. "No, I don't mind at all."

"Okay."

She smiles, presses a button on the remote, and starts the movie over.

About twenty minutes in, Bella asks me if I want to share her blanket. I tell her I'm fine and focus back on the movie. Something that is hard to do when her scent is filling my senses with its sweet, subtle smell. She's so close to touch, but yet so far away.

Another long stretch passes with us sitting there in silence watching the movie. I look at her at one point, just in time to see her laughing at what's going on on the screen. I hear commotion coming from the movie, but the feeling of warmth and calm I feel from gazing at her far outweighs the curiosity to look at the t.v. and see what it is that's so funny.

She must sense me looking at her because a second later she's looking at me. Her smile fades slightly, as if she's embarrassed that I've caught her laughing. I smile slightly in return, trying to dissolve some of the awkwardness. She looks down at her lap and then back at the screen. I do the same.

We watch the rest of the movie in silence, neither one of us moving from our positions on the couch. When the end credits roll, Bella sits up and stretches her arms above her head, giving me a glimpse of a sliver of skin from where her shirt rides up slightly.

"Thanks for watching with me, Edward," she says, getting up to turn the television and DVD player off. The sound of my name leaving her lips sends shivers down my back, taking me by surprise.

"Thanks for letting me. I liked it," I tell her, not moving from my spot.

"Yea?" she smiles, turning to look at me.

"Yea."

"Well, good."

She turns everything off before looking at me again. "Well, I'm really tired. I think I'll get some sleep before the sun comes up," she giggles.

I nod and stand up. "Yea, me too."

I make sure the French doors are locked before following her to the front of the house where the staircase is. I check the front doors as well before I turn to look at her. She's standing on the first step, her hand on the rail, as she looks at me.

"Goodnight, Edward," she says.

"Night, Bella."

She smiles again before turning around and walking upstairs. I walk past them and down the short hall that leads to the guestroom that has become my haven. That night I dream about her. Brown eyes and porcelain skin.

* * *

**A / N: Thank you guys for reading. I appreciate the feedback. Hope you're enjoying this new adventure we've got started. I'm really excited to be able to share this story with all of you. Thank you again!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the _Twilight_ series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Bon Fire

BELLA

I look at myself in the mirror and frown. I'm wearing a simple black dress, my hair down in waves around me, and I couldn't feel more ridiculous. After telling Alice, my best friend from back in New York, that I had a date, she insisted I wear a dress. I sigh heavily and walk to the laptop that sits on my desk. I open Skype and call her. She answers after a few rings, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and holding a pint of ice cream in her hand.

"Oh my God, Bella, you look so pretty!" she says, smiling brightly.

I take a step back from the laptop so that she can see my entire form. "Are you sure? I feel weird."

"Why? It's a simple dress. It looks nice," she says. "Wear that necklace that your mom gave you for Christmas last year. I think that'll look good with it."

I sigh again. "Okay."

"What shoes are you wearing?" she asks as she scoops a big bite of ice cream into her mouth.

"Uh…sneakers?"

Alice starts coughing dramatically and I roll my eyes, waiting for her to calm down.

"Bella," she says firmly.

"I don't like getting sand in my flats. And walking on the beach with sandals is pointless. I might as well go barefoot," I tell her, putting my hands on my hips.

"Then go barefoot. But please don't wear that pretty dress with _sneakers_."

"Fine, I'll wear flats."

"Okay."

"I can't wait for you to come visit me here, Alice," I tell her as I walk to my closet and pull out a pair of plain black flats. I watch her as I put them on.

"I know, me too," she says, smiling. "I'm so ready to get out of the city."

"You'll love it here, I promise."

She laughs and nods. "I miss you, Bella."

"I know. I miss you, too," I say sadly.

"But I'll be there before you know it," she says, brightening up. "And we're going to have so much fun."

I laugh and adjust my dress.

"Alright, go, it's almost seven," she says, shooing me away.

"What are you doing tonight?" I ask her.

"You're looking at it," she says in mock seriousness, holding up her ice cream. I laugh at her and shake my head. We give each other fake kisses through the screen before saying goodbye.

I grab my small purse and head downstairs. It's five minutes to seven and Royce should be here any minute. I walk into the living room and see my dad and Edward sitting on the couch talking, the television in the background playing some sports channel. My dad notices me first and he smiles when he sees me.

"You look nice, Bella," he says sincerely.

"Thanks," I sigh, looking down and running my hands down my dress.

I look up at Edward and see that he's looking at me. Not in my eyes, but at me. He has this blank expression on his face, almost as if he's looking through me instead of at me. He seems to snap out of his haze and his eyes meet mine. We stare at one another for a second before there is a knock on the double doors that lead to the deck. My father had placed the curtains over the windows, but I know it's Royce.

I let out a sigh and walk over to it, opening it to see Royce's smiling face as he takes in my appearance.

"Hey," he breathes. "You look…great."

"Th-thanks," I respond, stepping aside. "Come in."

Royce nods and walks in, just as my father stands up.

"Sir," Royce nods, extending his hand to Charlie and shaking it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Royce."

My father looks Royce up and down and I hold back my eye roll. I'm twenty-four years old, but at this moment I feel fourteen again, going on my first date.

"You, too," my father responds gruffly. "This here is Edward." My father gestures behind him and Edward gives Royce an uninterested wave before focusing back on the football game on the screen. I narrow my eyes at him. I thought he said he wasn't that into sports.

"Where are you two going tonight?" Charlie asks, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Just dinner and a walk on the pier," Royce responds coolly, unfazed by my father's stare down.

"Uh huh." Pause. "How old are you?" Charlie asks, squinting his eyes.

"Dad!" I say, aghast.

"Twenty-two, sir," Royce replies.

"Hmm. Alright, well have fun. Be back at a reasonable hour," my father says as he looks at me sternly and walks to the fridge to grab another beer.

"Okay, let's go," I say, turning quickly to walk onto the deck. Royce follows behind me, chuckling and closing the door behind him.

"Sorry about that," I say as we begin walking along the beach. "I think I'm still twelve in my dad's eyes."

"Don't worry about it. All fathers are that way with their daughters."

I nod as we continue in the direction of the pier.

"I hope you don't mind going back to the pier. There's this amazing seafood restaurant at the end. I don't know if you've been there," he says.

"Sherman's?" I smile.

"Yea, that's the one."

"Yea, it's one of my favorites."

He grins. "Great."

…..

We're seated at one of the tables by the window, so we have an amazing view of the ocean. I'm sipping some sangria as Royce nurses a beer. We've spent dinner talking a little more about ourselves. Royce tells me he works at his grandfather's boat tour business. He spends most of his day driving the bigger boats along the shore with about thirty or forty people on each. Sometimes he takes the smaller boats out for a smaller group. He offers to take me sometime and I wince. He notices this and smiles.

"What was that?" he asks.

"I'm a little…afraid of boats," I say quietly.

"Really?"

"Yea. I mean, I love the ocean. And swimming. But something about going that far away from shore on something that could easily break down is frightening."

"Bella, I assure you our boats are checked every day. Plus, we don't even go that far from shore."

"I'll think about it," I tell him, finishing off my second glass of sangria.

"Want another?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I shake my head. "I shouldn't."

"Why?"

I bite my lip and when the waitress comes over and asks if we want any refills, I laugh and shake my head when Royce orders me sangria and asks for a second beer for himself.

"It's vacation. Gotta live a little, right?" he says.

It's a couple of hours later that we're walking along the pier. I've had four glasses of sangria and am feeling the effects, a warmness surging throughout my body. Royce and I lean against the railing, looking down at the ocean.

"Did you have a good time?" he asks me.

I nod. "Yea. I did. Thank you."

"Glad I could be your first date of the summer," he says, causing me to laugh loudly. "I am your first date of the summer right?" he asks, pretending to be hurt.

I look at him and roll my eyes, smacking his chest lightly. His hand makes a quick grab at my arm and holds it against his chest. My smile fades as I swallow a lump in my throat and look up at him. Royce stares down at me intensely, reaching out with his free hand to move a strand of hair from my face.

"You really are beautiful, Bella Swan," he says.

I swallow thickly again. "Thank you."

Royce begins to lean in and I realize he's about to kiss me. His eyes flutter closed and I pull away, causing him to open his eyes and look down at me.

"Sorry," he says, licking his lips. "I just thought…"

"I'm just…not ready for that," I say.

"How come? I promise I don't bite," he says softly.

I roll my eyes and pull my hand away from his grasp, but am unable to stop the smile forming across my lips.

"It's just…we've only just met. I don't even know you really," I say.

He nods and lets out a deep breath. "My name is Royce. I'm 22 years old…I enjoy long walks on the beach…

I shake my head and run both of my hands through my hair, causing him to start laughing mid-sentence. I give him an un-amused look, but the small smile on my face is a giveaway.

"You're not as cute as you think you are," I tell him.

"I never said I thought I was cute. Sexy, handsome, debonair, yes," he smirks.

I sigh, glancing at my phone for the time, all the while shaking my head at him.

"It's still early," he says.

I look up at him and nod. "Yea, I guess."

"Wanna head down to the beach? Some friends of mine are having a bon fire."

It's almost eleven and I'm not tired. Also, it would be nice to meet some other people and maybe make some more friends since I'll be here all summer and don't know anyone.

"Sure, sounds good," I say.

We start walking the opposite direction of my house. It takes about fifteen minutes before I start to see several different bon fires all spread out. There are about fifteen people at each one. We walk past the first two, making our way to the very last one.

Royce is a pretty big guy, probably around 6 feet tall, with a semi-muscular build. But the guy who begins to approach us makes Royce look miniature. He's a tad taller than Royce, but muscular as hell. The man is wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and his muscles are practically bulging out of it.

"Hey, Royce," the gorilla of a man says, nodding his head. "And what do we have here?" he asks, smiling and taking my hand, giving the back of it a kiss. I laugh slightly and pull it away as Royce places an arm around my waist, surprising me.

"This is Bella," Royce says.

"Nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Emmett," the Hulk says.

"Nice to meet you," I say, extending my hand out to him and effectively slipping out from Royce's embrace.

"I haven't seen you before. You from here?" he asks, grabbing a cold can of beer from a nearby cooler and offering it to me. I take it and thank him.

"No, actually. I just came back for the summer. My dad just bought the beach house we used to rent."

"Nice, so you're here for some summer lovin'?" Emmett jokes. I blush and look away, busying myself with opening my beer as he laughs.

"Emmett, stop being an ass," a beautiful blonde woman says as she walks over to us.

"I'm not being an ass," Emmett says, placing an arm around the woman's shoulders and giving her a sloppy kiss on the side of her face, laughing as she pretends to be disgusted and wipes it off.

"Bella, this is my other half, Rosalie," Emmett says.

"His _better_ half," she says, smiling at me. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too." I smile.

"Hey, Royce, growing out your whiskers?" Rosalie jokes.

"Ha-ha," he responds.

"How old are you, Bella?" Rosalie asks me.

"Twenty-four."

"Ooh, Royce is dating an older woman," she responds, wiggling her eyebrows in a joking manner.

"Whatever. Emmett's an old man compared to you," Royce throws back good-naturedly.

"How old are you guys?" I ask Rosalie and Emmett, enjoying the banter between them.

"I'm twenty-nine, Rosalie is twenty-one," Emmett says.

"So how did you two meet?"

Royce groans. "Can we stop talking about these sappy love birds and do what we came out here to do. Get drunk?"

Rosalie rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, leaning into Emmett. "No one's stoppin' ya!" she says.

"Bella, you want anything?" Royce asks me.

I hold up my beer and shake my head. He nods and tells me he's gonna grab a beer and say hi to a couple friends. He asks me to join him.

"Uh, no," Rosalie says, grabbing my arm. "This is the only other girl here and I'll be damned if you take her away from me."

"It's fine," I say, looking at Royce . "Go say hi to your friends."

Royce looks like he's going to argue, but nods and walks away.

"He's such a pain in my ass sometimes," Rosalie says, shaking her head. "Seriously, I don't understand what I did in a previous life to be related to him."

My eyes widen. "You're related?" I ask.

Rosalie nods. "He's my step-brother. My mom married his dad when I was thirteen," she says, smiling ruefully.

"Oh, I was going to say I didn't see a resemblance."

"Thank you," she says, her voice serious even though she's joking. "It's not too bad though. We were both only children so we grew really close."

I ask more about Rosalie, at the same time wanting to learn more about Royce. Apparently, it wasn't a very happy story. Rosalie, Royce, and Emmett originally lived in Oregon. Rosalie's mother met Royce's father a couple years after she divorced. Royce never really saw his birth mom since she was always with a new entrepreneur or millionaire every other week ever since his parents divorced when he was five.

Rosalie began dating Emmett when she was seventeen and he was twenty-five. Her parents freaked.

"They demanded I stop seeing him," she says. "But I was in love."

Apparently, Royce's grandparents lived here in North Carolina all their lives. When Royce graduated high school, it was the same summer that his grandmother had passed away. He decided he would temporarily move to North Carolina to help his grandfather with his boat tour business, since he had no plans to attend college at that time. He ended up loving it here and decided to stay.

"I visited during spring break," she tells me. "I loved being away from my controlling parents. My mom and step dad argued with me every other day about breaking up with Emmett and my biological father called every weekend to make sure I was staying out of trouble. It was ridiculous. I came here and I fell in love with the University of North Carolina. But…I couldn't leave Emmett."

"So I made a tough decision easy and decided we should move here," he says smiling hugely. "I've got my Master's in business. I can get a pretty decent job here. Haven't yet, but can…" he jokes.

"Emmett is a bartender at Milligan's while he seeks position elsewhere," Rosalie says ruefully. "He thinks everything is going to fall into place, but that isn't how life works."

"Tell me about it," I mutter, taking a sip of my beer.

"So, what did you and Royce do tonight?" Rosalie asks me.

I spend the rest of the evening talking to her and Emmett. They're such a lovely couple and Rosalie and I are getting along really well.

Royce joins us again and I notice he's standing closer to me than before. Each time I shift, he shifts with me. I decide to simply shake it off and enjoy the rest of my night.

Around midnight, I tell Royce I'm going to head home.

"I'll walk you," he says.

"No, you don't have to."

"I'm not going to feel right about you walking home alone," he says.

I smile slightly and finally relent. After saying goodbye to Rosalie and Emmett, we start on our way back to my house.

"You have fun tonight?" he asks me.

"I did. I really like Rosalie and Emmett."

"Yea, they're alright I guess," he jokes.

I roll my eyes and we continue walking, quiet banter back and forth is the only sound that fills the air between us.

When we reach my house, I turn and look at him. "Thanks for tonight, Royce. I really did have a good time."

"Me, too," he says. "Hopefully we can do it again. Soon."

I nod. "Sure."

He hesitates for a moment before leaning in. I close my eyes and feel his lips press against mine gently before pulling away.

"Night, Bella," he says.

"Night, Royce."

I walk to the door and turn to wave at him one more time before stepping in and locking it behind me. I lean against the door for a moment, feeling a strange emotion coursing through me. It isn't regret at kissing Royce, but it's disappointment. I wasn't ready for that. I just met him and don't know how I feel about him. I certainly don't want to lead him on.

With a heavy sigh, I kick off my shoes and decide that shouldn't be a huge concern at the moment. It's summer and I should be having a little bit of fun.

I walk to the staircase and stop when I peer down the hallway that leads to the guestroom—Edward's room—and see light shining from under the door. I consider going and knocking on it, to see what he's doing still up, wondering what he does when he can't sleep. Read or lay on his bed and stare at the ceiling. Maybe he writes. My dad had mentioned how he used to see Edward writing in that café every day. I wonder what he wrote about. I wonder if he will ever tell me.

I let out another long sigh before shaking my head and heading upstairs. After brushing my teeth, I change into my pajamas and crawl into bed. I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling, my mind reeling from the night's events.

I think of Royce and how nice he was. How fun it was to spend time with someone who was so sweet and friendly and made me feel so welcome.

I think of Rosalie and Emmett and how sweet they were together. I wonder if I will ever be that way with anyone. My thoughts trail to green eyes and bronze hair and my heart begins to beat faster at the thought that Edward is awake downstairs.

I can't sleep.

And I wonder what Edward does when he can't sleep.

* * *

**A / N: Thank you all for reading and offering me your feedback. It took a while to update because I wanted to get in sync with Twilighted, where you can also read this story. Thank you all again.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the _Twilight_ series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Six: Girls & Guys

BELLA

The next few days pass by without much excitement. Royce takes me to the aquarium and then tries to convince me to go out on a boat with him, but I refuse. We hang out with Rosalie and Emmett and I like having another girl around since Alice won't be here for at least another month.

Edward spends his days working on the house and when he's not, he's out with his friends. I wonder sometimes if maybe he has a girlfriend, but I don't ask and no one ever drops any hints about it.

It's Friday night and Charlie has gone to dinner with a couple of his fishing buddies. When he invited me I told him I was tired. In reality, I didn't want to sit around listening to men talk about hooking bait and reeling in sea creatures all night.

I don't know if Edward is home since he usually goes out around this time, so I head downstairs to check. I hear more than one voice coming from the kitchen and when I turn the corner I see Edward standing there with a blonde man.

"Bella," Edwards says when he notices me. "I thought you went out or something. I didn't hear you upstairs."

His friend turns to look at me.

"This is my buddy Jasper," he says.

Jasper walks over to me and takes my hand in his, shaking it gently. "Pleasure to meet you. Charlie's said great things about you."

"Oh, you've met him?" I ask.

"Jasper is a good friend of mine. He's been around the house a few times," Edward says, draining the beer he had been drinking when I had walked in.

I nod, but say nothing.

"Ready to head out?" Edward asks, before looking at me. "We'll get out of your way. We were just hanging out until our friend got to the bar."

"Sure," I say, feeling awkward.

"Well, Bella, you got plans?" Jasper asks me.

"Uh…n-no," I say, feeling lame for not having anything to do on a Friday night.

"We can't have that," he chuckles. "Come out with us." It isn't a question.

"Jasper, I don't think Bella wants to hang out with us," Edward chimes in, scratching the back of his head.

Is he uncomfortable?

"Why not? We're fucking fun," he smirks. "Come on, Bella, you in? You don't wanna hang around here on a perfectly good Friday night, do ya?"

I glance at Edward and he's watching me with a slightly tense expression. His eyebrows are furrowed. I turn back to Jasper.

"Sure, that'd be great. Let me just go grab my purse," I say before turning around and heading back upstairs.

I hear hushed voices as I make my way up the steps, but it's too fuzzy to decipher what's being said.

…..

We end up going to Milligan's and I remember this is where Emmett works. I wonder if he's here tonight.

I walk in behind Edward and Jasper and follow them to a table at the end of the bar where a bulky man with dark brown hair is sitting with a mug of beer in front of him. He notices Edward and Jasper.

"Fucking finally," he says, standing up. "Were you guys whacking each other off or something? What, you couldn't get it up, Edward?"

Jasper clears his throat as I look down uncomfortably.

"Oh, my bad," the man says. "I didn't know there was a lady present…besides you two of course."

I laugh at his joke and he smiles at me before extending his hand in greeting.

"I'm Jacob Black," he says.

"Bella."

"Nice to meet you."

We all take our seats at the table, me between Edward and Jacob.

"Now how in the hell did a pretty girl like you get in the hands of these two morons?" Jacob asks me.

"Go to hell, Jake," Jasper responds before asking the waitress for a round of beer for the table.

"Beer alright, Bella?" Jasper asks me.

I nod. "Yea it's fine."

"Are you sure?" Edward asks, leaning in slightly. "I could get you something else if you like."

It's the first time Edward's addressed me directly since we left the house and his close proximity matched with his low, husky voice makes me swallow a lump in my throat before I respond with a soft "that's okay."

"So you never answered me, Bella," Jacob says. "How do you know Edward and Jasper?"

"Um, Edward works for my dad," I say softly.

"No shit!" He grins. "You're Chief Swan's daughter?"

"Yea."

"Shit, I didn't know there was going to be a cop's daughter present," he jokes.

"Retired cop," I say lightly.

"Just cuz the badge is retired doesn't mean it's any safer," he laughs. "I promise to be on my best behavior tonight."

"Yea, right," Jasper says. "We'll check back on that once you've had a few more beers in you."

"Some tequila shots maybe," he smirks.

Our beers arrive and I take a sip of mine, enjoying the crisp, cold taste.

"Shit, no tequila, Jake," Edward says. "You'll get vomit in your hair."

"Fuck you, man! You promised that would never come up again," Jacob replies.

"Promised what wouldn't come up again?" I ask curiously, taking another drink.

"Nothing," Jacob says.

"Jake used to have really long hair," Edward starts. "Like, past his shoulders."

My eyes widen. "No way."

"Yea," Jasper laughs. "He went through this phase where he wanted to get really in tuned with his Native American heritage." He looks at Jake. "You looked like Pocahontas on steroids."

"Shut up, man," Jacob says.

"Anyway, he finally cut it after New Year's," Edward continues. "He had so many tequila shots New Year's Eve that he puked all over his hair."

"Then started cutting off the parts that had vomit on them," Jasper adds. "Which was everything. Woke up the next morning with half his hair gone and the other half just straggly pieces of vomit-covered yarn."

"I was drunk," Jacob says, glaring at both of them.

"Whatever, man, that'll teach you never to grow that shit out again," Jasper says.

Edward chuckles into his beer before taking a sip as Jasper and Jacob begin talking about some upcoming sailboat trip they're taking.

"So," I say, turning to Edward. "How's work?"

I know it's a lame question since I see him working every day and know exactly how it's going. But I feel shy and have nothing else to start a conversation with.

"It's good," he says. "Almost done with the deck."

I nod. "Do you ever take a day off? I've been here over a week and you've worked every single day, dusk till dawn."

"Charlie tries getting me to, but I usually don't," he says, taking a drink of his beer.

"Why not?"

He shrugs. "Just don't want Charlie to think I'm taking advantage of him. He's done so much for me already."

I'm taken aback by the amount of honesty in his statement since Edward hasn't really opened up to me all that much. I take this as my chance to learn a little more about him.

"So, how do you know Jasper and Jacob?" I ask.

"Jasper and I used to work together. I met Jake through him."

"Where did you guys work?"

"Fish market and then a warehouse job. That was when I met Charlie."

"When did you move here?" I ask, steeling myself for a repeat of what happened the last time I asked about his past.

"I was twenty-two."

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-seven."

He's older than I thought he was, but I don't tell him this.

"Charlie told me you're…twenty-four?"

I nod. He does the same. I watch, mesmerized, as he takes a sip of his beer and his Adam's apple bobs up…then down. My mouth opens slightly.

"So, you write short stories or what?"

"Huh?" I ask, shaking my head, slightly taken aback when he addresses me.

"You got your Master's in creative writing. What do you write? Stories, plays, poetry?"

"Umm…mostly fiction. I'm just starting on my first full length novel actually. I'm hoping being here for the summer will inspire me a bit." I pause. "I mean, I don't know if anyone will ever want to read my work, but…hopefully."

"I'm sure you're writings are good." He pauses, looking down at his beer. "I'd like to read them sometime."

"Really?" I ask, my eyes widening.

He looks up at me. "Yea. I mean…only if you want me to."

"S-Sure," I say, shifting slightly in my seat to face him. "So, um…what about you?"

"What about me?" he asks, finishing his beer.

"Uh, Charlie mentioned that he used to see you writing a lot. You still do that?" I ask.

Edward smiles as he looks down at his empty glass, but it's a sad smile. "That's my journal," he says.

"You keep a journal?"

He nods, asking the waitress for another beer when she passes us.

"Oh," I say.

He looks at me and smiles. "What, guys can't have journals?"

"No, it's not that. You just…don't look like a journal-keeping kind of guy, I guess."

I blush when he smiles wider.

"Then what kind of guy do I look like?" he asks quietly, he voice dropping to that low husky tone again.

"Um…I-I don't know…" I stammer.

"Hey, Edward, you down to take a shot?" Jacob interrupts us.

Edward looks over at him, then at me questioningly.

I shrug. "I'm down."

"Hell yea!" Jacob yells before ordering four tequila shots for the table.

When they arrive, we each lick the salt on our hand, take our shots, and suck the lime. When I finish, I look at Edward as he sucks his lime completely dry. After most of it is gone, he just licks what's left before licking a trail of lime juice trailing down the back of his hand.

His eyes meet mine just as his tongue flicks out to finish the job and I gasp quietly, unable to look away. He licks the last drop and then looks up. I avert my gaze to my empty shot glass.

"Bella!"

I turn around and see the Hulk that is Emmett walking over to our table with a giant smile on his face.

"Whatchya doin' here?" he asks me.

"I'm just here with some friends," I say, looking around the table.

He nods and the men exchange quick hellos before Emmett turns to me once more.

"Royce with ya?" he asks.

"Uh no."

"Oh, well he was askin' about you earlier today so…give my boy a call will ya?" Emmett winks at me. "Pleasure to meet you, gentleman. Bella, see you around." He gives a final nod before going back over to the bar to continue working.

I turn back to the table and look at Edward.

"Royce your boyfriend?" Jacob asks me.

I look over at him and shake my head. "Oh, no he's just this guy I met. We've been hanging out. That was his sister's boyfriend. He works here."

Jacob nods and continues drinking. I look at Edward and see he's staring into his beer silently.

About a half hour later, Jacob and Jasper excuse themselves for a smoke, leaving Edward and me alone.

"Not a smoker, huh?" I ask him.

"Sometimes. I didn't want to leave you here by yourself."

"It's okay, you can go. I don't mind."

He looks at me. "I'd rather stay here anyway."

I smile slightly and nod, sighing. "How do you know I'm not a smoker?" I ask.

"Because I have two eyes."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I ask, smacking him playfully in the shoulder.

"Bella, you are too nice of a girl to be standing outside a bar smoking a cigarette."

I raise my eyebrows. "Oh, really?"

He chuckles.

"I'll have you know, I'm not _that _nice of a girl all the time. I have my moments," I say, feeling a little bolder with the nice buzz I got going.

"Oh yea?" he asks. It's his turn to raise his eyebrows. "Like when?"

"Like…." I think for a few seconds as I look around the bar dramatically.

"That's what I thought," he quips, taking a drink of his beer.

I stand up from my seat. "Alright then. Come on, smart guy."

"What?"

"Let's go outside for a smoke."

"Bella, I'm not going to let you smoke just to prove a point."

"_Let me_, Edward?" I ask, leaning in. He swallows hard, his eyes flicking form my lips back to my eyes. "No one _lets_ me do _anything._ I do what. I. want."

I stand there, barely a breath away for a few moments as Edward stares back at me, somewhat wide-eyed. After a while, I step away and look at him.

"So? Are you coming or do I need to bum a cigarette from Jacob or Jasper?"

He stands up and reaches into his back pocket, pulling out his pack of cigarettes as he motions for me to follow him. I notice we're heading out another exit than the one Jacob and Jasper went out of.

Edward leads me to a secluded part of the patio outside the bar before turning and handing me a cigarette and grabbing one for himself. I watch as he lights mine first and then his own.

"Have you smoked before?" he asks me, chuckling when I cough a little from my first inhale.

"Only a couple times. I never really saw the draw."

He nods. "Guess it's just something to relax me."

"Yea, what's better for relaxing than screwing with your lungs?" I joke.

He laughs, but says nothing as he takes another hit from his cigarette.

"So how do you like being back here so far?" he asks.

"I like it a lot."

"Charlie's happy you're here."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No, I can just tell."

I smile slightly, gazing into his green eyes for longer than what would be considered appropriate.

"So…that guy Royce. You and he dating now or what?" he asks suddenly.

"Um, no," I say, looking down at my cigarette as I ash it. I look back up at him and shrug. "It's just nice to have people to spend time with. You're always working."

I freeze, not knowing why I had just let that slip. Now he's going to know I want to spend time with him. I wait for his reaction. I expect him to laugh and make some joke, but he surprises me with his response.

"I should probably take Charlie up on his offer for a day off."

My mouth opens slightly as I stare at him, slightly wide-eyed. "When?" I ask, emboldened by the alcohol in my system.

He shrugs, blowing out a small puff of smoke. "Whenever you want."

Whenever _I _want, he says.

"Tomorrow."

"You don't have plans with your other friends?" he asks, smirking slightly. My entire body feels warmer suddenly.

"No. No plans. Unless of course you're busy."

"No. No plans."

I smile and bite my lip. His eyes flicker down to where my teeth are gnawing my flesh and he swallows hard.

"So tomorrow," he says, not lifting his gaze.

"Tomorrow."

"There you guys are!" The booming voice of Jacob interrupts our quiet moment.

We both shift and glance around ourselves as Jacob and Jasper approach.

"Bella, I didn't know you smoked!" he yells. "I guess good girls _can_ be bad."

I roll my eyes, putting my half-finished cigarette out in a nearby ashtray. "Just proving a point to Edward," I shrug.

"Mmhmm," Jacob hums. "You guys wanna head back in? There's a pool table open."

"Sure," Edward says, putting his own cigarette out.

"You and Bella against me and Jacob," Jasper says, smiling widely.

Edward gives me a questioning look. "You good at pool?" he asks me.

I bite my lip again and smile, shrugging. "You'll just have to wait and see."

I turn and head back into the bar, hearing Jacob and Jasper's howls of "oh!" as I go inside.

When I pick up my pool stick and look at Edward, he smiles at me and I smile back, letting out a huge sigh.

Tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the _Twilight_ series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Seven: A Little Bit Closer

EDWARD

I wake up the next morning, slightly hung over. After taking a quick shower, I change out of my pajamas, and head out into the kitchen.

Bella is sitting at the bar in the kitchen with a cup of coffee as Charlie stands across from her with his own mug in hand.

"Edward, hey," he greets me.

"Hey, Charlie. Bella."

Bella smiles slightly at me before turning her attention back to her drink.

"Bella told me she went out with you and your friends last night. Have a good time?" he asks, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yea," I say, taking a seat on the stool beside Bella. "Uh, Charlie…I wanted to ask you…umm…I thought I could take the day off today. If that's okay."

I see Bella look at me from the corner of my eye, but I keep my focus on Charlie, too scared to see her reaction. Maybe she had been drunk when she had mentioned wanting to spend time with me and she was hoping I would forget the whole thing.

Charlie looks surprised for a moment before he smiles. "Wow, Edward, you haven't taken a day off in all the time you've been here," he says.

I chuckle and nod, waiting for his response.

"Of course you can. You know you can take a day off whenever you want to. You work too hard, Edward."

I nod. "Thanks, Charlie."

"So, what do you got planned on your day off?" he asks, putting his empty mug in the sink.

I finally glance at Bella and see her gnawing her bottom lip. I'm about to speak, but I'm interrupted.

"Edward and I were actually gonna hang out today," she says.

Charlie's eyebrows shoot up and I brace myself for some sort of disapproval. "Alright, have fun. Bella, by the way, I wanted to see if it was alright with you if I went back to Forks in a few weeks."

Bella raises an eyebrow as she looks at her father. "Sure. Why wouldn't I be alright with that? Did you want me to come with you?"

Charlie scratches the back of his neck. "You don't have to. I'm staying with a friend. Just helping them take care of some things."

"Why are you using ambiguous pronouns?" she asks.

"Using what? Remember we're not all English majors here."

"Dad, you're going to see Sue Clearwater, aren't you? Oh my God! You're still seeing her? I thought you two stopped dating when you moved here."

"We did," he says, obviously uncomfortable with the discussion. "But her mom is sick and she just needs someone to help her out with organizing the finances and taking care of some things now that the kids are away at college."

"Oh," Bella responds. "Is her mom gonna be okay?"

Charlie sighs. "I don't know, Bella. She's been ill for a while now. Sue just needs an extra hand around."

"How long will you be gone?"

"That's why I wanted to check with you, since I really don't know. Obviously I don't want to be away from you for too long, but I need to know you're okay with being here without me for a while. You too, Edward." Charlie finally looks at me. I swallow hard and nod.

"I'm fine with it if Bella is," I say.

Bella looks at me for a moment before turning to her father and nodding. "Of course, Dad, do what you have to do. If you need me though just call me," she says.

Charlie smiles. "I will, kid."

Bella stands and walks around the counter to give her father a hug. "Love you, Dad."

Charlie wraps his arms around her, returning the sentiment. I feel like I'm intruding on a private moment. I quietly stand up to leave just as Bella pulls away from her father.

"So, what's on _your_ agenda today?" she asks him.

Charlie shrugs, looking at me. "I don't know. Thought I might go out on the boat with a couple pals."

"Big surprise." Bella rolls her eyes, smiling at me.

I smile back and make like I had gotten up to grab something from the fridge. I pour myself a glass of orange juice.

"Hey, why don't you guys come?" he asks suddenly.

"Dad…"

Charlie smiles ruefully. "You're still afraid of the water, huh?"

"Dad."

"You're afraid of water?" I ask her, surprised.

"No, I'm not afraid of water," she says, exasperated.

Charlie turns to me. "She's afraid of boats that are _out_ in the water."

"Thanks, Dad."

I chuckle into my orange juice.

"I could never understand it," Charlie continues. "The girl loves swimming, she loves the beach. But I can never seem to get her out on that dang boat of ours. Screamed like hell when she was younger. First time we took her out on the boat was also the last."

"Because boats sink," Bella replies, glaring at her father.

"That isn't necessarily true," I say.

Bella looks at me, wounded that I am taking her father's side. I'm quick to elaborate.

"I mean, I'm not saying your fear isn't justified it's just…it shouldn't stop you from doing something just because you're afraid of what _might_ happen."

Charlie looks at his daughter, smiling hugely. "That's right. Well put, Edward."

"Well, I'm just not in the mood to go out on the boat today," Bella says grudgingly. "Maybe one day."

"Yea, right," Charlie snorts into his coffee. Among receiving another glare from his daughter, he quickly scrambles and says he's going to get ready for his day trip.

Once Bella and I are alone in the kitchen, I stand across the counter from her.

"So, what _did_ you wanna do today?" I ask. "Boats are obviously out of the question."

She sneers at me, not amused.

"Yes, boats are out of the question," she says.

"Yea. For now."

Bella sighs and glares at me before shaking her head. "I don't know. I was thinking we could spend some time on the beach. I haven't really been able to enjoy it in the daytime yet."

I nod. "Sure, sounds good.

"Alright," she says, sliding off her stool. "I'm just going to go change and put on my swimsuit. Want to leave in half an hour?"

I swallow hard and nod. She smiles slightly before heading upstairs and I'm left in the kitchen cursing myself.

Why in the hell had I agreed to the beach?

Bella in a bikini? Did I need to torture myself?

Maybe she wore a one piece. Oh please let her wear a one piece.

…..

About half an hour later, I'm dressed in some plain black swim trunks and a white t-shirt. I grab a bottle of sunblock, knowing I'll fry without it, and head downstairs to grab the one pair of sandals I own.

After putting on my shoes, I make my way to the kitchen and stop dead in my tracks.

Bella is standing behind the counter in a light blue bikini top, white shorts, and nothing else. She looks to be putting together some sandwiches and doesn't notice me standing there.

I take the opportunity to appraise her form. Her stomach looks so smooth, her arms look heavenly, and her breasts look so perfect and inviting. The clothes she had been wearing up until this point had done nothing to prepare me for seeing her half-naked.

I decide to finally make my presence known and clear my throat. Bella looks up at me somewhat startled before a small smile spreads across her face.

"Hey, I was just making us some snacks," she says. "What do you like on your sandwich?"

"Anything is fine."

She nods before going about making the sandwich. I help her put the food in a beach bag she has. Thankfully she puts a shirt on before we head out to the beach.

"Did you want to walk down far or stay close to home?" she asks.

The way she says 'home' sends shivers down my spine. Because she could have said 'my house' or 'the house', but she chose to say home. Just home. It made me feel connected to her in a way I couldn't explain. Because that beach house_ was_ our home and hearing her say it just about made me the happiest man on Earth at that moment.

"We can go farther down. I'm tired of seeing the same scenery," I say lightheartedly.

"That's right, you're always outside. Well let's walk down to my special spot then."

"You have a special spot?" I quirk my eyebrow at her as we walk.

She shrugs and smiles. "It's a secluded part of the beach. There's this huge rock I would always hide behind anytime it would start raining while I was still outside. It was kind of like my safe haven I guess. I would go there to read or just listen to music. It's really nice."

"Have you been there since you came back?" I ask.

"Nope."

"Well, we'll definitely have to go to your special spot then."

Her smile lights up her face and it makes me happier than 'home.'

…..

I can tell Bella's spot is special to her. She smiles to herself as she sets her stuff down next to the giant rock that obstructs whoever is behind it from view. It's near the water, but not too close. And it's far enough away from other beach-goers that it gives us just enough privacy.

I lay my towel down next to Bella's as she sits down on hers and begins rubbing sunblock on her arms and legs. I try not to stare and instead busy myself with weighing my towel down with some sand at each corner, probably paying too much attention to the amount of sand in each pile.

Finally, I plop down on my own towel and watch the ocean in front of me for a while, enjoying finally being able to be out in the fresh air without having to hold a hammer.

Just as I'm about to finally say something to Bella, she lifts her shirt off and I'm left staring at her again with my mouth hanging open.

"Edward," she says as she rubs some lotion on her stomach. "Can you rub some on my back?"

She finally looks up at me and I close my mouth shut. "I mean, if it's not weird or anything," she chuckles.

"No, it's not weird," I manage to croak out.

"Thanks." She smiles at me before turning around so she's sitting with her back to me.

I take the lotion out of her hand and squeeze some into my palm. I take a quiet breath before I slowly begin rubbing it on the small of her back, working my way up. When I reach her shoulders, I massage some lotion onto her neck before going to the tops of her arms.

When I'm finished, I don't move my hands from her shoulders. "Your skin is really soft," I say.

"Thanks," she says quietly.

I finally remove my hands from her skin and close the bottle of sunblock as Bella turns around to face me.

"Did you want me to rub some on your back, too?" she asks, almost shyly.

I'm about to tell her no, not sure if I can handle her hands on me, rubbing my back. But then I decide that I probably won't ever get an opportunity to have her hands on me any other way. So I nod.

I turn away from her and pull my shirt off. I think I hear Bella gasp, but think my ego is making me hear what I want to hear.

Bella's hands on me are so erotic. Even doing an innocent task like rubbing sunblock on me is starting to get me worked up. I'm both relieved and disappointed when she's finished.

For the next couple of hours, we lay out in the sun, talking a bit more about each other. I ask Bella how her book is going and she asks me about more of the crazy things I've done with Jasper and Jake.

She doesn't ask me anything about my past and part of me is thankful. Another part, a confusing part, wants me to tell her things that no one else knows. And that scares the hell out of me.

We go into the water from time to time. Sometimes we just float across from each other, talk some more. Other times it's more playful. I'll splash her, she'll try to dip me under even though she's so much smaller than me. I laugh. I laugh more than I can remember ever laughing. This moment is perfect and I try and soak everything in so that I can always remember it.

We head back home around four in the afternoon, having spent the entire day at the beach. Bella is slightly sunburned while I just have a minor tan. When we reach the house, there's someone sitting on one of the lounge chairs on the deck.

It's Royce.

"Hey, Bella," he says, standing up as we approach.

"Royce, hey. How long have you been here?" Bella asks.

"I stopped by earlier and no one was home. I came back about a half hour ago and your dad was just getting back. He told me you went to the beach earlier so I figured you'd be back soon," he explains. He looks at me and nods. "Hey, bro."

I nod, but don't say anything. I turn to Bella, reaching out for her stuff. "Here, Bella, I'll take your stuff inside for you," I say.

"Thanks," she responds, handing me her things. "I'll be right in."

I nod, but say nothing else as I head inside, closing the door soundly behind me. I shut my eyes tight and heave a breath before making my way to the staircase, setting Bella's things in front of it. I head to my room and after changing into some jeans and a t-shirt, I flop onto my bed, my arm covering my eyes.

I couldn't explain what I was feeling. The…_sight_…of Royce waiting for her made my insides boil. It wasn't fair.

After today I realized that under any other circumstance, I would have asked Bella out on a date by now. She was amazing. Smart, funny, beautiful…sweet.

But she was Charlie's daughter. He knew I came from a rough past. He knew I had troubles, hell he broke up a bar fight between me and another guy. Not to mention I was living under his roof, rent free, working for him.

He was an ex-police chief. It was a wonder he hadn't searched my background yet. Or maybe he had. Maybe he knew everything and just didn't say anything. If he knew everything about me, and he found out I was attracted to his daughter…damn. He'd kick my ass.

Not only that. I had come to like Charlie and I respected him. I could never do that to him.

A knock at my door stirs me from my inner musings. I call for whoever it is to come in. A second later, the door is opening and Bella is standing there. I wait for her to tell me she just wanted to let me know she's going out with Royce and to tell her dad.

"Hey, my dad called and said he was going to his buddy's house for barbecue and a football game so it's just us tonight. Want to help me with dinner?"

I sit up, slightly shocked. "Is Royce here?" I ask before I can stop myself.

"No, I told him I was too tired to do anything tonight," she says.

"Oh."

"Yea, so I was thinking chicken fettuccini. And there's this movie on demand I wanna watch, too," she says excitedly. "Are you busy tonight?"

"Aren't you tired?" I ask, a corner of my mouth lifting slightly.

"Not for hanging out with you," she says quietly. She blushes and I get the urge to touch her face. Instead I nod.

"Yea, let me just clean up. I'll be right out."

She nods before turning to walk down the hall.

"What movie by the way?" I call.

"You'll see!"

"No chick flicks, right?"

"No promises!"

I chuckle and shake my head. My smile fades when I realize the road I'm about to go down. I don't know if I can trust myself if I get any closer to her than I already have. And she deserves so much better than me.

But damn if I'm not already hooked on this girl.

* * *

**A / N: Just wanted to let everyone know that it won't take this long for an update again. I'm going to be posting fairly consistently (once a week/every two weeks). Thank you so much for the support.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the **_**Twilight**_** series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Treacherous

BELLA

The day I had spent with Edward had without a doubt topped any other day since summer had started. Hell, it topped any other day this whole year. Spending time with Edward was the easiest, most comfortable thing. With him everything came naturally. All I wanted to do was talk to him, tell him about my life. Something I had never felt the need to do.

And all I wanted was to hear his voice. Talking, telling me about him. About his past. I took anything he gave me. I didn't push. I didn't need to. He spoke so easily with me. I wondered if he felt this…ease like I did. This natural energy whenever we were around each other.

The next few days passed by and I grew closer and closer with Edward. I found myself spending more time on the deck, watching him work and talking to him. I made him lunch a couple of times, brought him some lemonade. And he would always tell me I didn't need to make him anything and that this was my summer vacation, not his.

"You don't have to stick around here, Bella. I'm sure you have more interesting things to do than watch me work," he had said with a smile.

I had shaken my head and smiled back. "I really don't."

At night, I would spend time with Charlie, cooking in the kitchen. Edward usually went out after he finished working. He never asked me to go with him and I never invited myself. Although I felt like we were getting closer and learning new things about each other, I still felt like he was putting a distance between us.

My phone's ringing brings me out of my musings. I put my bookmark between the pages of the book I had just been staring at blankly for the last forty-five minutes and grab my phone. It's Royce.

"Hello."

"Hey, Bella, how's it going?" he asks me.

"Good. Just reading."

"On a Saturday night?" he laughs.

"Um yea, not much else to do." I force a small laugh of my own. Edward had gone out again tonight and he had barely said 'goodbye' when he left.

"Well here's something—Rose, Emmett, and I are heading out to this bar that's in town, Wayloo. It's pretty awesome. You down?"

I bite my lip. Royce and I have become friends over the last couple of weeks, but every time we hang out I can feel him trying to get closer, wanting more. I've tried sending him signals that I don't want to be more than friends, but he doesn't seem to get it.

On the other hand, I really don't want to stay home on a perfectly good Saturday night. And it would be nice to see Rosalie and have some girl time for a change.

I sigh. "Sure, sounds good."

"Sweet, we'll pick you up in about an hour?"

"Sounds good."

"Great, see you tonight, Bella!"

With that we end the conversation and I start looking for a good outfit.

...

Two things stick out to me once Emmett, Rosalie, and Royce come to pick me up. One, Emmett drives a giant, black pick-up truck that I am afraid to climb into without flashing everyone in the dress I'm wearing. And two, Rosalie has brought a bottle of tequila with her and insists we need to do some shots before we get to the bar.

"I think it's illegal to have open alcohol in the car," I tell her lightly.

She laughs and rolls her eyes, reaching under her seat to grab two shot glasses. "Emmett's back windows are tinted. Plus, it's girls' night!"

"Hey, we're here too," Emmett says from the front seat.

"Yea, only in theory. Just keep driving!"

I laugh and hesitantly accept the shot Rosalie is handing to me.

"Cheers!"

I laugh and shake my head at her enthusiasm. "Cheers."

We take our shots and I wince as it burns its way down my throat.

"Your dress is so cute, Bella," she says.

I look down and smile. "Thanks."

I'm wearing a tight-fitting black dress with thin straps that falls just above my knee. Not wanting to look fancy, I had opted for a pair of black-laced boots that would give the outfit a little something extra.

When we get to the bar, Rosalie and I are three tequila shots in and I am giggling uncontrollably. The guys grab a table toward the middle of the bar and we sit and order a round of beers.

It's an hour later and Royce and Emmett start talking about the game that's currently playing on one of the flat screens as Rosalie turns to me.

"So, what's going on between you two?" she whispers.

"What do you mean?"

She rolls her eyes. "I mean between you and my brother."

"Oh." I look at Royce to make sure he and Emmett are still talking to each other before I turn back to Rosalie. "We're just friends."

"Yea right," she laughs, nudging me. "Have you guys…you know?" She wiggles her eyebrows.

"What, no!" My somewhat drunk brain does not realize that I've practically yelled this.

Royce and Emmett turn to us. "What no what?" Emmett asks.

"None of your business," Rosalie says.

"Bella, wanna go up to the bar to grab another drink?" Royce asks me.

"Um, sure," I say, wanting to get away from Rosalie and her nosy questions.

We wait at the bar for a few minutes before the bartender gets to us.

"I'll have a Stella please," Royce says before looking at me.

"Same," I respond. The bartender nods and goes to retrieve our drinks.

I feel Royce's hand on the small of my back and shiver when he leans in, speaking close to my ear. "I'm really glad you came tonight, Bella."

I pull back slightly to look at him. "Yea, I'm having fun."

Royce nods and leans down, kissing my shoulder. I look at him in shock as he turns back to the bartender and gives him his card to open a tab. He turns back to me and smiles.

"I'm really glad I met you, Bella."

"I'm glad we met, too," I say.

"Listen, I know that you're a beautiful, smart girl who can get any guy she wants, but I want _you_ to know that if you let me I would treat you like a queen. Give you whatever you want. You deserve that."

Royce surprises me with his sudden revelation and I wonder if the beer is getting to his head. I shake my head and take a deep breath.

"Um, I'm going to step out onto the patio. I feel really hot in here," I tell him.

"Okay, I'll come with you," he says.

"I'm also going to call my dad to let him know when I'll be back so…I'll just be a few minutes. You can go back to the table."

Royce seems to understand that I want to go alone and finally after a moment, he nods and leans in to kiss my cheek before heading back to the table.

I let out a shaky breath and quickly make my way out to the front patio, happy that there are only a few people outside. I go to the farthest end of the patio and lean against the railing, taking deep calming breaths.

He kissed my cheek, my shoulder. Basically asked me to be his girlfriend. I had never been good with rejection, receiving or giving. I shake my head and decide I'm being ridiculous. I'm twenty-four, a grown ass woman who can't continue to lead somebody on just because I'm afraid of hurting them. With a resigned sigh, I turn around with the intention to head back in, but stop short and scream when I turn around and see Edward standing not even a foot away from me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You seemed deep in thought and I didn't want to disturb you," he says.

"That's fine," I breathe. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"Just hanging out with Jacob and Jasper. I saw you heading out here so I just wanted to say 'hi,'" he replies. "I saw you're here with your boyfriend."

I look up at him and furrow my eyebrows at the way his jaw clenches and his face is tense. "I don't have a…" I trail off when I realize he must be talking about Royce. "Wait, you were watching me?"

"What? No, I wasn't watching you. I just saw you guys at the bar."

I nod. "Yea, well…I guess if you communicated with me more we would know we would each be here and with who so that when you saw me at the bar with Royce, you would know he is _not_ my boyfriend."

Edward's eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean if we communicated more?"

"Nothing," I say, turning back to the railing to look out on the town.

"No, hang on a second," he says, coming to stand next to me. "You can't just say something like that and then expect me to forget it."

"Whatever."

"Bella."

I don't respond. I know its childish, but the alcohol in my system is making the anger I feel at Edward for not including me in his personal life come to the forefront of my mind. I whip around to face him, taking him slightly by surprise.

"Why don't you ever tell me when you're going out? I mean, we talk pretty much all day and then when it's time for you to go hang out with your friends you completely forget about me. What is it? Am I not good enough to be your friend, Edward? Am I not _cool_ enough?"

"Bella, you don't know what you're talking about," he says, eerily calm.

"What I do know is that every time I feel like we're getting closer, you somehow put another inch of distance between us and I just don't get it. I like you, Edward. A lot."

"Bella…" He pauses and scratches the back of his neck before looking at me again. "We shouldn't be friends."

"Why?" I ask desperately.

He mumbles something under his breath before looking up at me again. "You're a great person, Bella. And I enjoy talking to you and hanging out with you. I do. But if I'm being realistic…you just…you don't…you_ can't _fit into my life, Bella."

I feel like someone has just punched me in the stomach. I would have been okay with him telling me he wanted to just hang out with his guy friends when he went out, or even that he didn't think I was much fun to hit the bar scene with. But _this_, this was so much worse.

I feel the traitorous tears filling my eyes and I fight to control them as I steady my gaze with his again. "Well guess what, Edward. I don't _want_ to fit into your life. And you want to know why?"

He doesn't say anything, but continues watching me with a slightly weary expression on his face.

"Because," I say, "you're nothing but a fucking asshole."

I don't wait for his response. I head back into the bar and straight for our table. "Emmett, can you drive me home?" I say when I approach.

Everyone looks at me confused.

"What? Why?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

"I just want to go home," I say.

"O-okay," he says, looking at Rosalie and Royce.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to ruin your night. I'm just not feeling well," I say.

"It's okay, Bella," Rosalie says soothingly as she grabs her purse and stands up. "Come on, guys."

I don't chance another glance behind me for fear of spotting Edward.

…

The drive back to my house is quiet. Rosalie asks me if I'm okay a few times and I simply nod, not trusting myself to speak.

When we reach my house, I say 'goodbye' to Emmett and Rosalie. Royce hops out and walks me to the front door.

"Do you need anything, Bella?" he asks when we're standing in front of the door.

"Just sleep."

He nods. "Alright, feel better." He begins leaning in, presumably to kiss me, but I pull away before he can.

"Goodnight, Royce."

He seems slightly stunned and a lot disappointed when he nods. "Night, Bella. Sweet dreams."

I watch him walk back to Emmett's truck before I unlock the door and step inside, shutting it behind me.

The tears immediately start falling down my cheeks once I'm alone in the darkened foyer. My head hurts. My heart hurts more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: The characters as well as any other reference to the _Twilight_ series belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the author of this work, Forever 17/Foreverx17.**

**A / N: I want to apologize for the delay between posts. I am just dealing with juggling life right now. I am truly committed to this story and I will not let you guys down. Thank you for the feedback and unwavering support. And thank you to readers who have nominated me for Fic of the Week over at the Lemonade Stand. Wow. That means a lot. Thank you. Really.**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Want

EDWARD

"Bella….We shouldn't be friends."

"Why?" she asks me.

I take a deep breath and mumble shortly to myself about what an asshole I'm about to be. "You're a great person, Bella," I begin. "And I enjoy talking to you and hanging out with you. I do. But if I'm being realistic…you just…you don't…you_ can't _fit into my life, Bella."

I try to keep my expression neutral as I watch the tears well up in her brown eyes. I stop myself from reaching out and placing a hand on her face.

Something changes in her expression then and she levels her gaze with mine, eyes now cold. "Well guess what, Edward," she spits. "I don't _want_ to fit into your life. And you want to know why?"

I steel myself. I'm prepared for whatever she's about to say. I deserve it.

"Because you're nothing but a fucking asshole."

It feels like the wind has just been knocked out of me. I stand there for a moment, shocked at what she has just said. Before I can say anything, she's walking back into the bar.

I stand out there for what had to be a half an hour, only breaking out of my reverie when Jake comes outside to smoke a cigarette. He tells me him and Jasper are next at the pool table and I force myself to respond.

I spend the rest of the evening detached from everything going on around me. A couple of girls join us, but I couldn't care less. I can sense Jasper and Jake's looks of confusion on me as one of the girls sidles up next to me and tries to be flirtatious and I just brush her off.

I leave sometime around midnight and leave Jasper and Jake at the bar since they're enjoying themselves far more than I am. When I get back to the house, all the lights are off and it's silent. I quietly make my way to my bedroom, closing the door behind me.

For a few minutes, I war with myself about whether or not I should go wake Bella. Apologize for being a dick. I hadn't meant for my words to be so harsh or to hurt her. If anything, I was trying to protect her from the shit storm that was my life.

No, I tell myself. It's best to keep my distance.

…..

I'm up before the sun, working on the deck. Charlie comes out a couple of hours later, surprised I am already up. He tells me he's going to be out for the day on a fishing trip with his friends, but to ask Bella if she wants to go to dinner with him tonight. He invites me, but I politely decline, knowing full well Bella doesn't want me to go.

It's almost ten when I finally hear movement from inside. I hear the refrigerator door opening and closing, bowls hitting the counter, and the television turning on. She doesn't come outside for a while and when she does, she doesn't so much as glance in my direction.

I'm standing by the wooden railing on the side of the deck when she makes her way outside.

"Bella."

She stops, but doesn't turn around.

"Charlie wanted me to let you know he wanted to take you out for dinner tonight," I say.

"Are you going?" she asks without turning, her voice cold.

"No."

She doesn't say anything else and continues on her way. I watch until she disappears down the beach. I don't see her for the rest of the day.

…..

Bella isn't home when Charlie returns. He calls her and ends up meeting her at a restaurant so I don't see her for the rest of the night. When Charlie comes home later that evening, I'm sitting on the couch with a beer watching a rerun of some old t.v. show. I casually ask where Bella is and he tells me she ran into some friends at the bar next to the restaurant and went off with them. I hide the look of disdain on my face when he mentions "that Royce kid" was there.

It's almost one in the morning when I finally hear the front door open. I'm lying on my bed in my bedroom reading a book when I glance at the clock.

I listen closely to her light footfalls as she makes her way to the stairs. I hear the thumps as she ascends the steps. I barely hear when her door clicks closed, but it's only when I know she is safe in her room that I turn out my light and allow sleep to take over.

…..

Bella is in the kitchen the next morning. She and Charlie are speaking quietly when I enter and only stop when Charlie looks up and notices me.

"Edward, good. I need to talk to you," he says.

I brace myself for the inevitable. For Charlie to tell me he will not tolerate the way I treated his daughter the other night and to pack my things and leave.

"I just wanted to confirm that you'll be alright with me going to Forks. I'm leaving sooner than I thought," he says, surprising me.

I glance at Bella, not knowing why she hadn't told her father what I had said to her the other night, but she is looking down at her bowl of cereal as if it holds the answers to all of life's questions. I look back at Charlie and nod.

"Yea, of course," I manage to say.

"Good, I really want to be there for Sue and I want to feel good about leaving Bella alone," he tells me.

"I'll take care of her," I find myself saying before my mind can register the words.

Suddenly, Bella stands up with her bowl of cereal and glares at us. "I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself," she says, throwing her bowl in the sink.

"I know, Bella, I just want to make sure everything will be okay when I'm gone," Charlie says.

She sighs and nods. "I'll take care of the house and everything," she says, not looking at me.

"When are you leaving?" I ask, trying to dissipate the awkward air.

"A couple of days. I'll probably only be gone for a week or so, but I'll keep you guys posted."

I nod. "I'll keep doing the work on the deck. I'm almost finished."

Charlie nods in return. "Great. If you're finished when I'm still in Forks, give me a call and we'll set up a plan for the doors."

"Of course."

"Alright well I'm going out," Bella finally says.

"Where you going?" Charlie asks.

"I'm meeting up with Rose."

"Okay, sweetheart, have fun," Charlie says.

Bella smiles slightly and walks over to her father, giving him a kiss on the cheek before walking past me and out the door.

Charlie meets my gaze questioningly. "Everything alright?" he asks me.

I swallow a lump in my throat and nod. "Yea. Why?"

"You two have some sort of…disagreement or something?"

I shake my head. "Bella and I just don't know each other that well," I tell him. It isn't a complete lie.

"Well, she's always kind of kept to herself. And you're kind of introverted, too. Makes for a pretty interesting pair, I guess," he chuckles.

I nod, forcing a small smile.

…..

I'm just finishing up with the deck for the day and the sun is about to go down when I hear voices approaching the house. I glance up and see Bella walking toward it with Royce. He's speaking to her and she's looking down, nodding. They stop a few feet from the deck and he gives her what looks like a hesitant hug before walking away.

I get knots in my stomach when I watch him touch her, knowing that's something I can't do. She's about to walk into the house without saying anything to me and I decide enough is enough. She can't avoid me forever.

"Bella," I say.

She glances at me as her hand goes to the doorknob, but says nothing. I walk slowly closer to her until I'm only a few feet away.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize. For the other night. I didn't mean to sound so…harsh," I say.

She shrugs. "What was harsh about it? You were just being honest. If you don't want to be my friend, Edward, then I'm not going to make you."

She opens the door, but I reach out and shut it closed before she can open it further. She looks at my hand on the door, but says nothing.

"Bella."

She swallows hard before meeting my gaze. I don't move my arm.

"I'm really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings."

She lets out a humorless laugh. "Hurt my feelings? How could you do that? That would imply I care and I don't."

Her words are forced. I can sense it. But I don't say anything about it.

I finally allow my arm to drop and I sigh. "Fine." I turn around and head back to my toolbox to put my things away.

"You know, you're awfully presumptuous," I hear her say.

I heave another deep breath and continue putting my tools away. I'm hunched over when I feel her push me, causing me to lose balance and fall to the ground. I look up at her.

"What the hell, Bella?" I say as I heave myself back up.

"What makes you think that I want to be friends with you anyways? Maybe I just wanted someone to hang out with when I'm bored. Nothing else. Ever think of that?" she continues.

"Sure," I say, feigning nonchalance as I turn back to my tools.

I hear her sigh heavily. "You're so careless," she says, her voice shaking.

I finally turn around to look at her. She shakes her head, looking down.

"I just…I don't understand how you can be so mean," she says.

I swallow a lump in my throat before looking away, not able to look at her when she's so upset. "Bella, I'm sorry. I just…"

"What?" she demands when I don't continue. "What? Just say it!" She shakes her head again and when I don't answer she continues. "It's like…right after we had that amazing day together at the beach, you've just been pulling away and I don't get it."

I don't say anything.

"Edward!"

"I felt myself wanting to get closer to you and I can't let that happen, okay?" I finally say, bringing myself to look at her again.

"Why?"

"I'm just…Bella, Charlie trusts me, okay? It's been so long since anyone's trusted me as much as he has and…I'm not going to screw it up."

"How would us being friends screw anything up?" she asks, water welling up in her eyes.

"Because damn it, Bella, I know I couldn't just be friends with you and you deserve better!"

The air is thick after my confession. I feel the tension. It's palpable. Bella just stares at me in what has to be shock after what I just said. I swallow another lump in my throat before finally turning back to my tools, leaning down to finish putting them away. I hear her shifting behind me slightly, but she doesn't say anything. Once everything's put away, I pick up my things and stand up straight. I'm startled when I turn around and she's…right there.

I look down at her, swallowing hard. "Bella," I say.

"Yes."

I shake my head, letting out a breath. "I…I need to go inside."

"Why?"

"To put my things away."

She shakes her head, looking at me confused. There's silence for at least a full minute before she whispers, "I want to be closer to you, too."

I let her words fall on me, cascade down my shoulders. They're the most beautiful words I've ever heard. She's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.

"We can't," I force myself to say.

"Don't be a coward," she says softly, the gentleness of her voice a contrast to the hardness of her words. She steps closer and I stand, rooted to my spot.

"I'm not," I say quietly.

She nods, leaning in. I reach out and place a hand on the side of her face, telling myself that it's only to keep her from coming closer. In reality, I just want to put my hands on her.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper, wanting to swim in her deep, chocolate brown eyes. I shut my eyes tight before letting my hand fall from her face and taking a step back. "I need to put my things away."

She stares at me for a few seconds before stepping aside, her eyes never leaving mine. I clear my throat and head inside, hearing her following behind me. I stop in the hallway and turn around.

Bella is standing in front of the French double doors leading to the deck, watching me, her eyes both sad and confused. But there is a determination in them that I hadn't seen before.

I slowly make my way back over to her, stopping when I'm just a foot away. I reach my hand up and place it on the side of her face again. She steps closer until there's only inches between us. In that moment, I tell myself to turn away. To walk away now because if this goes any further I'm screwed.

But I can't move. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Instead I lean in, closing the distance between us, and placing my lips on hers. Gently at first, then firmly. Her mouth opens up and I slide my tongue inside, tasting her. I pull away after a few seconds, my lips barely touching hers.

"Don't ever call me a coward again," I whisper before pulling away completely and walking away.


End file.
